Silanes with functional azido groups which are connected to the silicon atom via an intermediate member having a carbon chain are already known, for example, the groups of silylazidoformates ##STR1## (Thomson U.S. Pat. No. 3,705,911, Thomson U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,551, British Pat. No. 1,377,214) and the silylsulfonic acid azides EQU N.sub.3 --SO.sub.2 --R--SiR.sub.n.sup.1 (OR.sup.2).sub.3-n
(Thomson U.S. Pat. No. 3,705,911, Thomson U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,551, British Pat. No. 1,516,193). The entire disclosures of these two U.S. patents and two British patents is hereby incorporated by reference and relied upon.
There have also been proposed silylcarbamic acid azides of the formula ##STR2## These azidosilanes because of their bifunctional character, they already have alkoxy groups on the silicon atom and an azido group on an intermediate member are suited as so-called coupling agents between organic polymers and inorganic substrates. However, their relatively high cost of production and in part also their slight thermal stability and their sensitivity to hydrolysis, militate against a wide use of these azidosilanes.
There have recently been disclosed in Borel published EPO application No. A-0,018,503 compounds suitable for use as coupling agents represented by the formula EQU (RO).sub.3-n R.sub.n.sup.1 Si(CH.sub.2).sub.x Y
where R and R.sup.1 are linear or branched alkyl or cycloalkyl groups having one to ten carbon atoms, aromatic or substituted aromatic groups having six to ten carbon atoms, x is an integer from 1 to 20 and Y is a azide. In the only working example of preparing such compounds 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl azide is prepared by reacting 0.5 mole of 3-trimethoxysilylpropylchloride with 1.72 moles of sodium azide in 1 liter of methanol. After reacting for 11 days at reflux a 62% yield of the azide is obtained. The entire disclosure of Borel is hereby incorporated by reference and relied upon.